A historic house that has stood in West Hempfield Township for 259 years could soon face the wrecking ball.

"We have issued a demolition permit for the (Gerber-Garber) house," township manager Ron Youtz said Jan. 25.

He said most permits issued by the township have a one-year expiration date. And, now that the demolition permit has been issued, he said the matter is out of the township's hands.

Barring any last-minute reprieve or legal challenges -- which supporters of the historic property say are highly unlikely -- the stone house on the Gerber-Garber farmstead built in 1753 could be demolished soon to make room for development.

The house, sitting on land deeded by William Penn's sons in 1741 to Christian Garber, has been severely damaged by vandalism lately.

"It's in sad shape," Youtz said.

According to the Lancaster County Geographic Information System website, the Gerber-Garber farmstead, 3948 Continental Drive, is owned by Themistoklis D. and Christos D. Sacarellos, 905 Heritage Hills Drive, York. The property is zoned residential.

Attempts to reach the owners Tuesday were unsuccessful.

The farmstead made the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County's 2012 top 10 "watch list" of threatened historic properties released in January.

The nonprofit architectural preservation organization keeps a list of properties its members believe are in danger of demolition or slow destruction because of neglect.

Randy Harris, executive director of the trust from 1995-2002, said Jan. 25 that without last-minute intervention, the house will be razed.

Harris is an avid underground-railroad enthusiast who now works as a private consultant in matters of historic preservation for developers and other entities.

He traced the demise of historic properties in the county -- and the state -- to changes in historic preservation laws adopted by the legislature in 2000.

Judy Fry, a Lancaster native now living in York, blamed those same laws for the neglect of the property.

Fry has been vocal lately in drawing attention to the plight of the Gerber-Garber homestead for both public and personal reasons.

In addition to wanting to preserve the historic farm that sits on 5.65 acres next to Route 30 in West Hempfield, Fry's family has a long history associated with the house.

Her grandparents were former tenants of the house, and they farmed the land. Fry's mother was born in the house, she said.

Fry readily admitted to being "green" when it comes to the intricacies of historic preservation.

"I have learned a lot lately," she said Monday.

She said there are long odds in saving the house without access to large sums of money for a court fight or support for eminent domain.

She cited the controversial use of eminent domain several years ago by York County commissioners to preserve a historic farmstead that became a county park. She said it was an example of steps some municipalities have implemented to save historical sites.

Harris said that while it would be great to have a museum or other educational use at the Gerber-Garber farmstead, historic preservation must be balanced with property rights.

Harris, who is donating his time to promote awareness of the Gerber-Garber property and other endangered sites in the county, said the lack of serious efforts to preserve these properties by municipalities would make groundbreaking test cases in a court of law.

"There is a clear requirement in the Pennsylvania constitution that people have the right to enjoy natural and historical sites in the state," Harris said.

He interprets the state constitution as requiring municipalities to preserve historical sites for future generations.

Harris said he believes the demolition permit issued by the township was an error.

He said township officials failed to follow the municipalities planning code -- and the state constitution -- before issuing the permit.

However, Harris said the township planning commission recently took steps to do an inventory of historic West Hempfield properties and to find ways to better educate the public to preserve these properties.

Harris said that money would be an issue for the preservation of properties and for municipalities.

"There is a whole layer of administration to preserve properties," he said.